Slack-adjuster.



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w. H'.V SAUVAGE. SLAGK ADJUSTER.

(Application led Oct. 25, 1901.)

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A o with loose brake-shoes and long piston travel.

UNITED .STATES PATENT Ormes.

A. TRIPP, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

SLAoK-ADJUSTER;

SPEGIFIGATI'ON forming parier Letters Patent-N0. 704,970,1eated July 15,1902.

` Applicants rie oaoberfzt, 1901,; serai No. moet; (rampas.)

To a/ZZ w/0772, it may concern/,, ,.15

Be it known that LWILLIAM SAUVAGE,- a citizen of the United States ofAmericmgresiding at Denver, in the countylof Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements/1inSlack-Adr' justers; and I do declare the following to be Ua full, clear,and exact descriptionof .the in.-v vention, such as will enableothersskilled in 1 the art to which it appertains to make ,andi use thesame, reference being hadQtotheaccompanying drawings, and to the lettersand figures of reference marked thereon,*which4v form a part of thisspeciiication.vl b 1 My invention relates to improvementslin slack-adjusters for car-brakesyormeans for automatically maintainingthebrakels'hoes at a uniform predetermined distance fyro1`n -thecar-Wheels. i .7.5

I do not need to emphasize the facttbatthe present usual method, orso-calledfujc hand-.ad4 justment of brake-shoes, (on freight-carsparticularly,) is at best not very satisfactory. This is plain and fullyverified by simply noting the adjustment of suchjequipment at any placeat any time lon any railroad. It is believed that fully ninetyvv percent. of such cars (carefully inspected) w ill;likely be foundA withmuch moreslacklthanis.desirable un-l less it' be such as havejustibeenprovidedY with new shoes or wherenslack/,has just been taken up by hand.Thesameconditions are found on passenger equipmentgthough, perhaps, notto such an aggravated degree.

The cost of railroad companies in time expended by train-crews or othersVmaking frequent or even occasional adjustments isofmuch importance, tosay nothing of the cost in the Wayof damage and, perhaps, loss of lifeoccasioned by wrecks, dac., by reason of improper or inadequateadjustments of brakeshoes, piston travel, and general inefficiency of,air-brake mechanism. Automatic regulation of brake-shoes, andtherebyincidentally regulating air-brake piston travel, is one of the importantsubjectspof the day in connection with air-brake servicev .A f

It is evident thatr-lno present Varrangement of air-brakemechanismcanfultil' its mission `ordinary brake appliances.

A To restrict piston travel close to agiven limit will undoubtedly giveincreased efficiency to present air-brakexneohanism andnsave expensebyusing less 4air to accomplish a given vamount of work.- This` cannot beacconiplished with a piston on some cars 'having ten or eleveninchestravehon othersV perhaps less, and on a few at or about the properlimit. Uniforinpiston travel is an important feature of vgoed lbrakeservice, and this 6o very desirable vresult cannot .be had from presenthand adjustments, but if it can bey maintained automatically on each carand at all times it insures"Y greater safety, and consequently higherspeed and the greatest pos- 65 sible efticiency of all'the brakes thusautomatically adjusted. With hand adjustment the piston travel willchange with each succeeding brake application with correspondinglydecreasing efciency of braking power. 7o

My present invention consists ot certain improvements kin theconstructionset forth .in my previous"patent,` dated February 18,

1902, and numbered 693,806fwhioh.iinprovements will'nowbedescribed indetail, Areii'er- 75 ence being made to the accompanying drawings,in'which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates my iinprovement shown inconnection with a setof 8o In this view the axlesand bolster are shownin cross-section and the otherparts in sideelevation, the constructionbeing arranged for outside connected brake-shoes. Fig. 2 is afragmentary 85 ,View showing the brake-levers in horizontal section.Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the mechanism being arranged forinside connected brake-shoes.` Fig. 4 is a fragmen 'tary side elevationshowing the dead truck-le- 9o The same reference characters indicate thesame parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the brakebeams; 6, the shoes; 7, the deadtruck-lever; 8, the live truck-lever; 9, the top rod; 10, the bottomrod, and 12 the car-wheels.

The brake-levers 7 and 8 are connected by a rod 13, attached to onelever and arranged to telescope in a tube or hollow bar 14, attached tothe other lever. As shown in the drawings, the bolt 15, which connectsthe lever 7 with the brake-beam, passes through a slot 13, formed in theflattened extremity of the rod 13. The bar 14 is provided with anopening in one extremity, through which passes the bolt 16, whichconnects the lever 8 with the adjacent brake-beam. The free extremity ofthe rod 13 enters a longitudinal opening formed in the bar, in which therod 13 telescopes. The extremity of the bar 14 is slotted, as shown at14e, and surrounded by a clamping-collar 17, which is provided with aneyebolt 18, whose eye passes between the jaws of a cam-lever 1Sa forconvenience of adjustment. By use of this clamping device the rod 13 maybe made to [it the openingin the hollow bar in siich a manner that whilethe rod when actuated by the braking force is allowed to enter the barand take up the slack the rod will retain its position in the bar whenthe brakes are released.

Another form of clamp is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and consists of a pieceof spring-steel A, shaped to clasp the slotted portion of the tubularbar 14 and normally produce sufficient friction for the purpose. Thisclamp is provided with an interiorly-projecting lug A, adapted to entera recess formed in the hollow bar, whereby the clamp is held securely inplace. The free extremities A2 of this clamp are opened sufliciently topermit the insertion of a suitable tool when it is desii-ed to spreadthe clamp or loosen its normal grip on the bar.

The length of the slot 13 determines the normal distance of the shoesfrom the wheels when the brakes are released. All the other slack istaken up by the telescopic connection between the brake-shoes composedof the bar 14, rod 13, and the clamping device heretofore described.

To the bolster B or other relatively stationary part of the car issuitably attached one extremity of a ratchet-bar 20, whose oppositeextremity 20a is provided with ratchet-teeth and provided with avertical central longitudinal slot 20C, through which the upperextremity of the lever 7 protrudes. Mounted upon the upper extremity ofthis lever is a dog 19, adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth of the bar.This dog is provided with a downwardly-projecting pin 19, passingthrough the slot of' the bar and projecting below its lower edge. Thelower extremity of this pin is provided with a key 19c to prevent thedog from turning or jumping out of place. As shown in the drawings, theratchet-bar is pivotally connected with the bolster and rides on anantifrictional-bearing C; mounted on each side of the lever 7.

It will nowbe understood that in applying the brakes through thelinstrumentality of an ordinary air-brake system, as the Westinghouse,the rod 9 will be moved toward the left or in the direction indicated bythe arrow in Figs. 1 and 3, and both brake-beams will be moved towardthe wheels of the car by virtue of the coperation of the bottom rod 10.When the brakes are released, the bolt 15 engages the outer extremity ofthe slot 13a, or the extremity of said slot farther to the left,referring to the drawings. As the brakebeams move toward the wheels thebar 14 will move toward the left or in the direction indicated by thearrow until the extremity of the slot 13L farther to the right engagesthe bolt 15. lf the brake-shoes are the proper distance from the wheels,as determined by the length of the slot 13, the shoes will be in contactwith the wheels, and the rod 13 and the bar 14 will act as an integralpart.

1f, however, there is too much slack, or, whatv IOC into contact withthe wheels. By virtue of t the connection between the rod -13 and thebar 14 these parts will be maintained in the adjusted position. Then asthe brakes are released the rod 9 will be moved in the oppositedirection a corresponding distance; but since the slack is taken up thefulcrumpoint of the lever 8 cannot travel back to its original position,the lower arms of the levers 7 and 8 will be thrust toward the left andthe upper arm of the lever 7 toward the right, and the dog 19 will holdthe ratchet-rod in the adj usted position, thus compensating for thechanged relation between the parts, while the rod 13 is maintained inthe position heretofore stated, or, in other words, in the position inthe bar 14 to which it has been thrust or drawn in taking up the slackof the brakeshoes.

In order to cause the immediate or prompt release of the brake-shoesfrom the wheels when necessary steps have been taken to re- IIO III

lease the brakes, I attach a leaf-spring 21 to .brakes on all carsbefore leaving the terminal.

This is usually done by the engineer making a full application of air.AInspection of the' trainmen follows, and each brake is properly adjustedby hand. With my automatic slackadjuster the engineer adjusts all of thebrakes in the first application, consuming only a few minutes of time,while the old way usually takes aconsiderable amount of time and laborbefore the train is ready to leave.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationwith brake mechanism,

lof means for automatically retaining the brake-shoes at a predetermineddistance from the car-wheels, said means comprising a twopartfrictionally-held connection between the brake-beams, a ratchet-barmounted on a relatively stationary part of the car, and a dog mounted onthe dead truck-lever and engaging the teeth of the ratchet-bar, thearrangement beingsuch that as the brakes are released, the deadtruck-lever is actuatedy to compensate for the limit of movement of thelive truck-lever, the dog engaging the ratchetbar to hold the deadtruck-lever in the adjusted position. l 2. In a slackadjuster, thecombinatio with a brake mechanism, o f a two-part frictionally-heldconnection between the brakebeams, a ratchet-bar mounted on a relativelystationary part of the car and slotted to re-4 ceive the deadtruck-lever which passes upwardly therethrough, and a dog mounted on theupper extremity of the said lever and adaptedto engage the teeth of theratchetbar.

3. In au apparatus of the class described, the combination with Lbrakemechanism, of a two-part frictionally-held connection between thebrake-beams, a ratchet-bar mountedon a i relatively stationary part ofthe car, and slot- -dog being provided with a pin projecting downwardlythrough the slot of the ratchetbar, and a device attached to said pinybelow the bar to prevent displacement of the dog.

4c. In a slack-adjuster for car-brakes, the combination with brakemechanism, of a two-v part frictionally-held connection between thebrake-beams, a ratchet-bar mounted'on arelatively stationary part of thecar and slotted to receive the dead truck-lever which passes upwardlytherethrough, the lever being provided with an antifrictioual supportfor the ratchet-bar, and a dog mounted on the upper extremity of thesaid lever and adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-bar,substantially as described.

5. In a slack adjuster, the combination with brake mechanism, of atwo-part frictionally-held connection between the brakebeams, aratchet-bar mounted on a relatively stationary part of the car andslotted to receive the dead truck-lever which passes upwardlytherethrough, a dog mounted on the upper extremity of the said lever andadapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-bar, and means mounted on arelatively stationary part of the car, and engaging the leversot` theair-brake system, to facilitate the prompt release of the brake-shoesand the necessary adjustment of the truck-levers, to compensate for thechanged relation of the parts incident to taking up the slack during thebrakesetting operation. f

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' W'ILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

Witnesses:

M. E. THOMAS, v O. A. TRIPP.

